


just tonight i won't leave (and i’ll lie and you'll believe)

by BloodRaven55



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, F/F, Fluff, Mild Smut, One Shot, Post-Volume 3 (RWBY), at the end, it was just an idea i had that wouldn't leave me alone okay XD, so i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2020-03-01 02:02:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18790768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BloodRaven55/pseuds/BloodRaven55
Summary: Blake looks into Yang's eyes, memorising every detail of the shade of lilac that she knows will haunt her dreams for years to come, and then she kisses her again, harsh and desperate this time, because she can't stand the way that Yang is still looking up at her with so much care and adoration even after everything that's happened— everything Blake's put her through.a.k.a. what if Blake didn't leave right away after the Fall of Beacon.





	just tonight i won't leave (and i’ll lie and you'll believe)

**Author's Note:**

> This was born of a thought I had about what could have happened if Blake had stayed for just one night after the Fall of Beacon. Because with all the guilt she was feeling I can't see it ending any other way than her leaving like she did in canon, but I wanted to explore the possibility of a different way that things could have got to that point. I've read other fics with a vaguely similar premise, but as far as I remember none of them have approached it from this angle, so I went ahead and wrote this anyway XD
> 
> The title is a line from the song [Just Tonight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ozg-EL4VJQ) by The Pretty Reckless, which somewhat inspired this story as well.
> 
> With that out of the way, have fun!

Neither of them says anything when Yang wakes up on the airship to Vale, gasping as she jerks upright, face turning ashen and eyes turning dead as she sees the empty space where her right arm should be and remembers.

Blake keeps her mouth shut through the surprisingly brief stay at the hospital too. Through the doctor explaining that Yang's Semblance had already mostly cauterised the wound, that the most they could do now is bandage it up and let her aura eventually take care of it as best it can since there's no infection or other complications as far as they can tell.

None of what he says eases the guilt resting suffocating and unbearably heavy inside Blake's chest. None of what he says will bring back what Yang's lost—what they’ve both lost—what Blake took away from her.

The silence continues on the journey back to Patch. Continues as Ruby, still unconscious, is moved into one of the other bedrooms, Taiyang settling into a seat at her bedside, clearly with no intention of moving any time soon. Continues as Blake settles onto the other half of Yang's bed, neither of them needing to talk to understand that what they need more than anything right now is just to be near each other.

Blake knows she should have left already. Every moment she spends here puts them all in danger—puts _Yang_ in danger, again—but she's too selfish to give up every good thing she's found just yet.

There are no words as she moves to straddle Yang either. No words as her partner stares up at her, longing finally replacing the lifelessness that was dulling her features. No words as Blake leans down and Yang meets her halfway, their lips connecting with a tenderness that hurts more than roughness would, her partner's one remaining hand finding the back of Blake's neck to stop her from pulling away.

They do separate after what feels like an eternity, long after Blake has lost track of time—lost track of anything apart from Yang—but only to catch their breath and remove their clothes. It's rushed and clumsy, fingers fumbling with buttons and zips as they shake with too much uncoordinated need to shed the layers between them effectively. Part of Blake doesn't want to bother with nakedness—doesn't want to waste any more time than necessary—but if this is the only time she ever gets to experience this then she doesn't want to miss _anything_.

When the barriers between their bodies are a pile on the floor, there's a moment of stillness, all of their pain and suffering and love bared as they realise that at last they're where they always should have been, but just a fraction too late.

Blake looks into Yang's eyes, memorising every detail of the shade of lilac that she knows will haunt her dreams for years to come, and then she kisses her again, harsh and desperate this time, because she can't stand the way that Yang is still looking up at her with so much care and adoration even after everything that's happened— everything Blake's put her through.

She touches Yang, indulges every guilty fantasy she's ever had in the dark of the night when she can't keep her feelings contained any longer, because if she doesn't then she'll cry instead.

When Yang finds release, shuddering against her, the fingers of her left hand digging into Blake's back, leaving marks that Blake hopes will remind her that this one night was real when the light of morning dawns, the tears almost come anyway.

And so she guides Yang's hand to her breast, because otherwise she'll think about how she'll never know what it's like to be with her partner like this again— how they're shattered into pieces that can only end up cutting each other. She lets Yang flip them over, press her down into the mattress with aching gentleness, because it makes her feel _something_ , lets her forget that everything is falling apart and there's nothing she can do to stop it, even if it's only for a moment.

She lets the heat of Yang's mouth burn away the numbness that was swallowing her whole—the emptiness that threatens to take over when Yang isn't touching her—and even if the strokes of her partner's tongue are over eager and inexperienced, they're more than enough to have her fingers tangling in Yang's hair, tugging lightly as a single moan that she can't hold back slips out.

When her climax washes over her, she bites her lip hard enough to draw blood, choking back all of the things she wants to say, _I'm sorry_ and _I wish I could stay_ and _I love you_ catching in her throat.

Now that it's over, Yang using her chest as a pillow, her partner's quiet snores filling the air instead of muted gasps of pleasure, Blake feels torn in half. She doesn't know how it's possible to feel closer to Yang than ever before and so much farther away from her at the same time, but she does.

For a second, she allows herself to imagine what it would be like if she didn't go—imagine the two of them building a life together, just another happy couple without any problems to split them apart—but then she shoves the idea away violently, her eyes stinging as she curses her wishful thinking for making this even harder than it already is.

She looks down at Yang, at the peace on her partner's face—peace that seems to be an alien concept whenever Blake is with her—and she's sure of what she has to do. She carefully shifts out from underneath her, and when Yang instinctively reaches out for her again, missing her body heat even in sleep, it takes all of her strength to push her partner's hand back onto the bed. The resulting disappointed whine as Yang pulls the pillow close instead is nearly enough to weaken her resolve. Nearly, but not quite.

She sees that there's a pencil and paper on the desk against the far wall, and she crosses the room, writing the only thing she can give Yang to make up for what she's about to do, even if she knows it isn't even close to enough. She walks back over to the bed, leaving the note on the other pillow and allowing herself to lean down and kiss Yang's forehead one last time, lingering just a little too long before she leaves through the window without looking back.

* * *

Yang is woken by sunlight streaming through her open window. When the fog of sleep starts to lift, she realises that that's the first sign that something's wrong. The window was definitely closed when she passed out last night. She rolls over—it must have been a dream then, Blake's probably asleep in the guest bedroom right now and the height of emotion she's been feeling had her confusing what was real—but then her left hand brushes against the piece of paper on the other pillow. She angles it so she can read it, even though part of her already knows what it will say.

_I'm sorry. I'm so sorry._

Knowing doesn't make the pain any less, though. Her heart still cracks in two in her chest. The one hand she has left still crumples up the reminder of what she could have had and throws it towards the bin—the fact that it misses horrifically just another thing forcing her to remember that she has nothing now, no career, no school, no partner—before curling into a fist, her nails digging into her skin so hard it hurts, the discomfort sweet because it's better than feeling nothing.

And she still can't stop the sobs from wracking her body, the sounds of her loss muffled by her pillow as she tries not to wake anyone up because she pathetically believed that she wouldn't be left alone again.

* * *

Miles away, in a dingy, rundown room on a ship headed for Menagerie, Blake's tears fall just as hard, their broken hearts in sync even across the vast distance between them.

* * *

A year later, in an equally unwelcoming room in an Atlesian inn, Blake looks down at Yang, at the peace on her partner's face—peace that she finally understands she is responsible for—and she's sure of what the future will hold. At least, she's sure of one thing.

She and Yang are going to have that life together. They're going to be just another happy couple without any problems to split them apart. And whatever is necessary to make it happen, she'll do without a second thought.

She doesn't realise she's crying until Yang stirs against her, blinking sleepily up at her in concern. “You okay, baby?”

The term of endearment makes her smile as her partner reaches up to wipe away her tears, smooth gold and black metal skimming across her cheek in a surprisingly gentle touch.

“Absolutely. I just— I'm just so happy. And I love you so much.”

Yang looks slightly taken aback—Blake doesn't often say how she feels out loud unless she's prompted, though when she does she's unflinchingly honest—but she simply smiles back and settles comfortably against her again.

“Love you too.” The words are slightly muffled, Yang already heading back towards sleep, but they're no less overwhelmingly sincere for it, and Blake leans down to press a kiss to her partner's forehead, her heart light and full of affection for the woman in her arms— the woman she gets to spend forever with.

**Author's Note:**

> Whew, well, that was a thing that happened. I don't normally include sex in the things I write particularly since I'm likely on the ace spectrum myself but this story would not leave me alone until I got it out so here we are XD
> 
> All comments of any kind except for non-constructive criticism are not just welcome but hugely appreciated, and you can also find me on [Tumblr](https://bloodraven55.tumblr.com) if you want to scream at me there too :P
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and I'll see y'all next time!


End file.
